Method of manueacttjailto covebied-joiktt hihg-e members



Oct. 23, 1928. 31,688,955

J. T. ATWOOD METHOD OF MANUFACTURING COVERED JOINT HINGE MEMBERS Filed March 25, 1927 N I .2. if g 13 J7 /4 9 I I! gfily Patented @ct. 23, 1928.

UNTEZB JAMES T. ATWOOD, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

Application filed March 25, 1927. Serial No. 178,333.

This invention relates to covered joint hinges which are now being produced in large quantities for the automotive industry for hanging automobile doors. Hinges of this type are characterized by what is known as an inside and an outside hinge member, the latter having a cover portion which conceals and protects the knuckle oint. The making of this outside hinge member has been a problem to manufacturers. Various methods of manufacture are known by which the outside hinge member is made either from a single blank or from plural blanks of sheet metal. The methods usually involve curling or otherwise bending one end of the blank to form the knuckle portion and in the case of a two part construction the cover part is formed by a stamping operation and welded to the body part which has the knuckle proper. The outside hinge member has also been made as a malleable casting. Still another known method is by forging, and another by cutting the individual blanks from bar stock rolled to the desired cross-sectional shape. These methods are not altogether satisfactory either because of the comparatively high cost or because of structural weaknesses or characteristics peculiar to the particular method. The present invention aims to provide a new method of manufacturing a covered oint, especially the outside hinge member, with a view to reducing the cost of manufacture and to providing a structure which will meet the requirements for which these hinges are intended. This method is a departure from previous known methods in that it provides for forming the knuckle end by an up-setting operation and contemplates manufacture of the hinge members from flat bar stock steel. In other words the stock from which the blanks are formed may be of standard bar size so that the material cost is reduced to a minimum. The operations contemplated by my invention for manufacturing hinge members from blanks cut from this bar stock, are for the purpose of enabling reduction in the cost of manufacture and production of a satisfactory hinge structure. My invention will be better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an edge view of a flat metal blank from which the outside hinge member is to be formed;

Fig.2 is a similar View after the up-setting operation 5 Fig. 3 is a face view of the blank shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. shows the blank after the up-settin end has been bent laterally to the final posi tion; and,

1 Figs. 5 and show the blank after the machining operations.

The blank from which the outside hinge member is to be formed is cut from fiat bar stock, preferably of soft steel. In Fig. 1 the length and thickness of the blank is shown and in 3 its width, these dimensions being, of course, merely illustrative.

The first operation consists in up-setting one end of the blank, preferably by means of header dies, the division of the dies being appro iimately on the dotted line 8. This upsetting operation forms a head designated generally by 9 extending across the end of the blank as shown in Fig. 3 and shaped in crosssection to provide a cover portion 11 and a pintle bearing knuckle portion 12. The knuckle portion 12 is preferably semi-circular in cross-section with its center 18 approximately in the plane of the fat inner side 1% of the blank body. Said head is further shaped beyond said knuckle portion 12 to provide a fiat stop or abutment 15, the purpose of which in the finished hinge is well known. This head serves, as the name implies, to cover the knuckle portion and the knuckle joint when the hinge member is completed. In llhlS tip-setting operation the metal comprising one end of the blank is worked under the heavy pressure of suitable dies by one or more pressure strokes to the cross-sectional shape shown in Fig. 2, thus reducing the length of the blank. These dies are preferably so shaped as not to leave an excess of metal, thus avoiding what is known as flash and eliminating the cost of removing surplus material of this kind. In this up-setting op eration the cover portion may be crowned as shown at 16, to give the desired finished shape and appearance. The head 9 may be bent laterally to the position shown in Fig. 4, either simultaneously with the up-setting operation or subsequently thereto by an inde pendent bending operation.

After the blank has been formed in the manner described a machining operation is performed to remove stock from the knuckle portion 12 for reception of the knuckle of the inside hinge member and also for providing machined bearing surfaces for the knuckle joint. This is preferably done by a milling operation. When making a three-knuckle hinge the milling cutter, or cutters, as the case may be, will remove stock from both ends of the knuckle portion 12 thus providing recesses 17 as shown in Figs. 5 and G. In this case the plane of the milling cut is indicated by the dotted line 18, Fig. 5, and the cutter feeds to a depth slightly beyond the imaginary circumference 19 of the knuckle portion 12. The recesses thus extend into the cover portion and provide clear ance space 21 between said cover portion and the periphery of the knuckle of the inside hinge member. A hole 22 will be bored through the center of the knuckle portion 12 and the pintle or pin which connects the knuckles. In this particular case a three knuckle hinge is provided, comprising the single knuckle portion 12 of the outside hinge member and the two end knuckle portions of the inside hinge member (not shown) which are adapted to be located in the recesses 17. The milling operation referred to machines the ends 23 of the knuckle portion 12 thus providing accurately located and finished end thrust bearin surfaces for the knuckle portion of the inside hinge member. \Vhile the drawing shows the outside hinge member of what is known as a three knuckle hinge, it Will be obvious that the machining operation may also be arranged for either two or five knuckle hinges. It should be understood therefore that my invention is not confined to any particular number of knuckles.

By reason of the method of manufacture herein disclosed the cost of producing hinge members of this kind is reduced. This method also requires fewer operations and less handling of the parts. It also provides a strong and durable hinge which meets the requirements of the trade and is not subject to tile disadvantages of the hinges made by some of the methods above referred to.

I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing the outside member of a covered joint hinge, conisting in upsetting and bending one end of a flat metal blank to form a laterally offset head having a cross-sectional shape providing a pintle bearing knuckle portion and a cover portion, and removing stock from the pintle bearing side of the headed end for reception of the knuckle of the inside hinge member.

2. The method of manufacturing the outside member of a covered joint hinge, consisting in upsetting one end of a flat metal blank to provide an integral cover portion and a pintle bearing knuckle portion, and thereafter removing stock from both ends of said knuckle portion and within the cover portion by a machining operation to provide machined knuckle bearing surfaces and re cesses for the reception of the knuckle parts of the other hinge member.

8. The method of manufacturing the outside member of a covered joint hinge from a flat metal blank, consisting in rip-setting one one. of the blank by successive action of upsetting dies to form a head having a crosssect-ional shape across the blank providing a pintle bearing portion and a cover portion, bending said upset head laterally so that said pintle bearing portion is offset to one side of the blank body, and milling the upset head through the pintle bearing side to provide for reception of the knuckle of the other hinge member and to further provide machined bearing surfaces for end thrust of one knuckle against the other.

In witness of the foregoing I ailix my signature.

JAMES T. ATl/VOOD. 

